<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<recipeml version="0.5">
  <recipe>
    <head>
      <title>1996 Honorable Mention Caramel Oat Bars</title>
      <categories>
        <cat>Cookies</cat>
        <cat>Holiday</cat></categories>
      <yield>16</yield></head>
    <ingredients>
      <ing-div>
        <title>BASE</title>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1/2</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Unsalted butter; softened</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1/4</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Sugar</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>3/4</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Rolled oats</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>2/3</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>All-purpose flour</item></ing></ing-div>
      <ing-div>
        <title>CARAMEL</title>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>14</qty>
            <unit>ounces</unit></amt>
          <item>Sweetened condensed milk</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1/2</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Unsalted butter</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1/4</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Brown sugar, packed</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1</qty>
            <unit>teaspoon</unit></amt>
          <item>Vanilla extract; to 2 ts</item></ing></ing-div>
      <ing-div>
        <title>ICING</title>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1/4</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Unsalted butter</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>2</qty>
            <unit>tablespoons</unit></amt>
          <item>Water</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>2</qty>
            <unit>tablespoons</unit></amt>
          <item>Cocoa; sifted</item></ing>
        <ing>
          <amt>
            <qty>1 1/2</qty>
            <unit>cups</unit></amt>
          <item>Confectioners' sugar; sifted</item></ing></ing-div></ingredients>
    <directions>
      <step>  Karen Kruckenberg of Harvard, Illinois earned an honorable mention in the
  1996 Chicago Tribune Annual Holiday Cookie Contest with a simple recipe for
  caramel oat bars from England.
  
  1. Heat oven to 350'F. For base, beat butter and sugar in small bowl of
  electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add
  oats and flour; beat until smooth. Press into greased 8-inch-square or
  9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until set, 20 minutes.
  
  2. Meanwhile, prepare caramel mixture. Heat condensed milk, butter and
  brown sugar to a boil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Boil, stirring
  constantly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour caramel
  mixture over cooked base; allow to cool completely.
  
  3. To prepare icing, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in
  cocoa and water until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar; stir until mixed
  well. Spread over cooled caramel layer. Allow to set before cutting. Store
  refrigerated.
  
  Source: Chicago Tribune, December 4, 1996
  Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #339
  
  From: Linda Place &lt;placel@worldnet.att.net&gt;
  
  Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 04:11:46 +0000
 
</step></directions></recipe></recipeml>
